Web supporting drum

ABSTRACT

A DRUM FOR SUPPORTING A TEXTILE TWB OR THE LIKE WRAPPED AROUND THE DRUM IS FORMED BY A CYLINDRICAL SERIES OF BARS ARRANGED TO FORM A DRUM-LIKE CONTOUR FOR CARRYING THE WEB. THE BARS MOVE RADIALLY AND AXIALLY WHILE ROTATING AS A SERIES IN A MANNER RESTRAINING LATERAL SHIFTING OF THE WEB WHILE RADIALLY AGITATING THE WEB MORE OR LESS AS DESIRED.   D R A W I N G

United States Patent 1191 [111 3,831,404 Appenzeller Aug. 27, 1974 WEB SUPPORTING DRUM 3,059,307 10/1962 Riddle 26/64 x [75] Inventor: Valentin Appenzeller, Am FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Hage e Germany 476,454 5/1929 Germany 26/64 [73] Assignee: Eduard Kusters Maschinenfabrik, g

, ermany Gladbacher Strasse, Germany 123,765 9/1901 Germany 68/199 22 Filed: Aug. 14, 1972 Primary ExaminerI-Iarvey C. Hornsby [21] Appl' 28043l Assistant Examiner- Philip R. Coe

Attorney, Agent, or Firm--l(eny0n & Kenyon Reilly 30 Foreign Application Priority Data Carr & Chapin Aug. 14, 1971 Germany 2140891 [57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl... 68/199, 68/5 D A drum for supporting a textile web or the like [51] Int. Cl. B05c 3/04 wrapped around the drum is formed by a cylindrical [58] Field of Search 68/5 A, 5 B, 5 C, 5 D, series of bars arranged to form a drum-like contour 68/5 E, 5 R, 158, I75, 199; 26/64 for carrying the web. The bars move radially and axially while rotating as a series in a manner restraining [56] References Cited lateral shifting of the web while radially agitating the UNITED STATES PATENTS web more or less as desired.

2,969,578 1/1961 Lembo 26/64 4 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures WEB SUPPORTING DRUM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Drums having a foraminous cylindrical websupporting surface have been used. To provide for agitation of the web during washing, the drum has been mounted by rotative journals which are themselves journaled eccentrically so that by rotating the eccentric journals at a high speed relative to the rotative speed 7 of the drum they journal, radial oscillation of relatively high frequency is superimposed on the drums rotary motion. With the drum and the wrap of traveling web immersed in a washing liquid, and with the radial oscillation in action, the washing liquid is driven through the web to obtain a good washing action. However, the mass of the drum, and its supporting parts carrying the oscillating motion, produces forces of large magnitude which can be handled only by strong and therefore heavy and expensive constructions. In the case of a drum used in connection with steaming, when web agitation on the scale used during washing is unnecessary, transverse shifting of the traveling web wrapped around the drum has been restrained by contouring the drum s surface as, for example, by making it slightly convex.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of this invention is to provide a web carrying drum about which a textile web or the like may be wrapped and agitated, and which is constructed so as to avoid the oscillation of large masses or heavy parts and/or to provide a more effective restraint to possible transverse web shifting or deviations.

To attain this object, a rotative, substantially cylindrical series of mutually parallel, laterally interspaced, bars are used. The bars are arranged to provide pairs of bars which are diametrically opposite to each other. Each pair is mounted by a mechanism for applying a radial and axial oscillation to the bars, the latter having the same frequency and amplitude and in phase with each other. In other words, the bars of each pair move radially towards and from each other while having an axially directed motion component, these movements being in phase. Alternating pairs are oppositely phased. That is to say, the bars of one pair are moving axially and radially in one direction; the bars of the pair next to his pair are thus also moving but reversely thereto.

With the above general construction only the bars and their supporting and actuating mechanisms are oscillated and since the parts are very light relative to the total weight of the drum construction, relatively small forces result which can be handled adequately by relatively lightly constructed parts which are therefore relatively inexpensive.

By using two axially separated series of the 7 bars which are arranged in axial registration with each other, and by oppositely phasing the bars of each registered pair as to the axially directed reciprocation component, the traveling web is restrained from transverse shifting or deviations. When only this restraint is mainly desired, the radial component of the oscillations may be made relatively small.

With the traveling textile web or the like wrapped around one rotating series of bars, the web is stressed to move radially outwardly and more or less axially by one pair while the pairs of bars on either side, being oppositely phased, are moving in opposite directions; and when these two pairs are moving outwardly and axially oppositely, the first-mentioned pair is oppositely moving. In this way the web is agitated.

When the two axially separated series of oppositely phased registered pairs of bars are used, there is the additional effect that each axially registered pair of bars with which the web is more firmly engaged, shift apart to impart a transverse stretching stress to the web, which action then fades only to be next taken up by the next pair of bars of the two series because of the opposite phasing, the first-mentioned pair retracting to more or less release the web. Thus, the web portions are successively alternately stretched transversely and released, the result being a restraint to transverse web shifting or deviations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various preferred embodiments of this invention are illustrated by the accompanying drawings, each embodiment being considered the best mode of practicing the invention known at present when considering the use for which the embodiment is intended. These drawings are all schematic for the purpose of more clearly disclosing the principles involved. The various figures are as follows:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of web supporting drum particularly adapted for use in a textile web washing machine;

FIG. 2 is an end view taken on the line 22 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to the left-hand portion of FIG. 1 but illustrating an actuating mechanism for the bars;

FIG. 4 is the same as FIG. 3 but shows a modification;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are details of various ways for mounting the bars forming the drum;

FIG. 8 is the same as FIG. 1 but showing a modification wherein the bar mounting elements are substantially as shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 shows a modification of the constructions of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross-section showing a washing machine using the web supporting drum of the present invention agitating the web to provide for driving the washing liquid through the web while the web continues to travel;

FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 3 but shows the mounting elements rearranged to provide mainly for restraining the web against transverse shifting or deviation, the radial component of motion being reduced as compared to that of the constructions of the preceding figures,

this drum being adapted for use, for example, in a continuous web steamer; and

FIG. 12 shows this modification of FIG. 11 in crosssection as incorporated in a textile web steamer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Having reference first to FIG. 1, the assembly of parts comprising the new drum is generally indicated by the numeral 1. This assembly comprises an axle 2, which may be stationary and non-rotative, on which is journaled a tubular supporting shaft 3 for the cylindrical series of bars 4a and 4b which are mutually parallel and laterally or circumferentially interspaced. When referring to the series as being cylindrical, it is to be understood that when in operation the bars form a rectangular shape which changes to cylindrical and then back to a rectangular shape which is re-oriented with respect to the first one.

The cylindrical series of bars are arranged in two groups, A and B, the groups being axially separated but having relatively small spaces between the mutually adjacent ends of the bars of the two groups. The bar pairs of each group are axially registered with the corresponding bar pairs of the other group and, excepting for their small interspacing, form a contour that is substantially continuous in the axial direction.

From FIG. 2 it can be seen that the bars are all arranged in pairs as shown at 40 and 4b. All of the bars may be mounted by the supporting shaft 3 in the same manner and by the same constructions. From FIG. 1 it can be seen that these mountings are effected by a plurality of arms 5 pivoted to the shaft 3 at 6 and to the arms 5 and 7. These arms all angle in the same direction and degree as to each of the two groups A and B but in opposite angular direction in group A with respect to group B. The angularity is relatively sharp with respect to a plane at right angles to the axis of the shaft 3. A minimum of two of the arms 5 must be used for each pair to provide the effect of a parallogram holding the bars parallel to the axis of the shaft 3. Because this is a washing machine application, an angularity of less than 45 is suggested, this angularity varying somewhat when the drum is operated.

As emphasized by FIG. 1, the angularities of the arms 5 of the group A of bars is opposite to the angularity of these bars in the case of group B. If each group of bars is shifted outwardly from the center of the drum construction, the angularity of the arms 5 shifts so as to move the bars radially outwardly to the positions shown in broken lines by FIG. 1. The arrows in FIG. 1 illustrate that in addition to this displacement there is a displacement axially with respect to the drum construction. Actually the motion of the bars is arcuate so that the bars move both radially and axially.

Now it can be appreciated that as to each group, by moving the bars 4b axially outwardly, they attain the position shown by FIG. 2; and if at the same time the bars 40 are moved axially inwardly, they attain the positions also illustrated by FIG. 2.

Various means may be used for axially reciprocating the pairs of bars in opposite directions. When a pair of bars of group A is moved axially outwardly, the corresponding pair of bars which register therewith in group B should also be moved outwardly or oppositely in the axial direction. Again referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that if spans of a textile web are formed between the bars 4b, which it may be assumed are moving radially outwardly, spans are being released which previously tautly existed between the bars 40, this occurring in rapid succession and in effect vibrating the textile web radially while at the same time the web is restrained against transverse shifting or deviation because the bars of the groups A and B and which most firmly engage the web, are moving radially outwardly with respect to each other, the web portion thus previously engaged then being released more or less completely and being almost immediately engaged by the next pair of bars which now effect the firmer engagement and which again are moving radially outwardly away from the center of the drum construction in opposite axial directions.

The frequency with which the bars are oscillated depends on their actuating mechanism while their amplitude depends on the amplitude of the applied motion, and, of course, the angularity chosen for the arms 5.

Ordinarily the pair of arms 4a and 4b would be axially reciprocated out of phase with each other, each of the bars of each pair being in phase with each other. The corresponding bars of the two groups A and B must correspond in phase with respect to the radial component of their motions but should be in opposite phase with respect to the axial components. In other words, the bars 4a of the groups A and B should synchronously move radially outwardly together but axially away from each other, the same corresponding with respect to the bars 412. The space required between the bars of groups A and B is indicated at 8.

Cam actuating means as indicated by FIG. 3 may be used to actuate the bars, one of the bars 40 being shown, but this applying to all of the bars. This one bar is shown as being provided at its outer end with a cam roller 9, acting as a cam follower, bearing against a contoured cam plate 10. The plate 10 being flat in a radial direction permits the roller 9 to both run along it in the circumferential direction while shifting in a radial direction with respect to the drum construction. A corresponding construction would be provided at both ends of the drum for actuation of all of the bars of the two groups A and B.

Although not shown, but as any mechanical engineer can understand, the surface of the cam over which the rollers 9 run may be contoured to shift the bars 40 in one direction while the bars 4b are shifted in the opposite direction, and with the cams at both ends of the drum properly oriented, the previously described phase is obtainable. To simplify the drawings, no means are shown for biasing the rollers 9 against the cam surfaces 10, but this can be done in the normal way of cam actuated mechanisms, either by springs located suitably to constantly bias or urge each of the bars of each group in the direction of its cam surface 10, or, although not shown, by substituting for these simple cam surfaces ones that fully enclose the cam rollers 9, as is common particularly when a positive, double-action cam actuation is desired.

It can be seen that with the action described so far the textile or other web is not longitudinally stretched in the circumferential direction of the drum construction and that oppositely directed axial motion to the bars is transmitted to the web in a sliding manner which cannot damage the web normally. The bars may have flat outer surfaces or other contours to reduce any such possible risk. However, in some instances the web may be capable of being stretched and it may even be desirable to deliberately stretch the web, this stretching having reference to the length of the traveling web or circumferentially with respect to the drum construction.

In the above instance the bar actuating mechanism of FIG. 4 may be used. In this case an-actuating plate 11 is journaled on the axle 2 to rotate with the bars and is connected to the latter by an articulated linkage l2 permitting radial motion of the bars relative to the plate 11. With this arrangement by reciprocating the plate in the direction of the double-headed arrow in FIG. 4, or axially, all of the bars 4a are simultaneously moved in and out so that a web looped therearound forms a loop that radially expands and contracts, this not only agitating the web but also alternately stretching it and permitting it to relax. The reciprocatory motion which must be applied to the plate 11 may be by any conventional means such as again by providing the plate with a cam roller and a cooperating cam plate, neither of which are shown because of the conventionality of this arrangement.

In the schematic showing of FIG. 1 the arms 5 are given the appearance of being pivotally connected, such a construction being shown by FIG. 5 where the illustrated bar 4a has a bracket 13 on its inside connecting with the arm 5 by a pivot pin 14.

It was previously noted that the cam rollers 9 must be biased against the cam plates 10. FIG. 6 suggests how such a bias may be created by making the arms 5a in the form of flat leaf springs rigidly bolted to the arms 4a by suitable screw fastenings 15. The other ends of the spring arms 5a would be correspondingly fastened to the shaft 4, so that by making these arms 5a so that force is required to move the bars 4a inwardly with respect to the drum construction, with this construction applied throughout the drum, the cam rollers 9 are always biased against the surfaces of the cams 10.

Another way for achieving the above result is shown by FIG. 7 where the arm 5 is rigidly fastened by a fastening 16 to tortion blocks 17 made of elastically deformable material and twisted in the direction producing the desired bias. In this case the arms 5 may be pivotally connected to the tube 3 or connected thereto in the same manner as is shown by FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 serves to show the FIG. 6 construction when used in connection with the new drum. Corresponding numerals are used in general. The arms 5a are shown with the less than 45 angularity previously mentioned, as indicated by the arcuate double-headed arrow 18. The double headed arrow 19 indicates the axial movement component of the displacement of the elements. Although not indicated, it is to be understood that the two groups A and B of FIG. 1 are involved in this case also, and that any of the bar actuating devices previously suggested may be used.

FIG. 9 is numeraled the same as FIG. 8 but it is to be noted here that the two separate groups A and B are not involved at all and the space indicated at 8 in FIGS. 1 and 8 are non-existent. This is because the bars 4a and 4b are integral throughout their lengths. Even this construction provides for the agitating web motions previously described although the web transverse shifting or deviation restraint may not be quite the same. However, it is to be noted that here again the pairs of bars 40 and 4b may be oppositely phased so that one bar is moving radially outwardly while another pair of bars 4b are moving inwardly. If the angularity shown at 18 is alternately reversed for alternate bars the latter may be moved in opposite axial directions.

In connection with FIGS. 3 through 9, the drawings reveal only the bars 4a but it is to be understood that the same constructions would be used for the bars 4b which cannot be illustrated because of the natures of these figures.

Going now to FIG. 10, the new drum construction is shown at work in a textile web washing machine. The web 20 via guide rollers 21 is wrapped almost completely around the previously described drum construction, the latter being entirely immersed in washing liquid contained in the housing 10a of what may be a typical washing machine, excepting that its ends (not shown) may be contoured so as to be provided with the same surfaces described in the case of the cam 10 in FIG. 3. In FIG. 10 the pair of bars 4b are shown radially expanding the web loop portions engaged thereby while the bars 4a are shown radially relaxing the web portions they engage. Either partial or complete relaxation is possible. The web loop immersed in the liquid can either be stretched circumferentially or not stretched at all, depending upon what is desired for the treatment of the web.

It has been previously noted that the angularity, indicated at 18 in FIGS. 8 and 9, of the arms 5a may be less than 45 in the washing machine applications. Such an angularity imparts a large radially directed component to the oscillatory action of the bars 4a and 4b with a consequent smaller displacement axially with respect to the drum construction. In some instances the reverse of this may be desired, as indicated by the following.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show the invention as it might be used for steaming the web. In this case a large number of the drum constructions l are enclosed by a steam chamber 22 and arranged so that the web 20 loops back and forth to permit a great length of the web to be steamed in the chamber 22. For example, with the arrangement shown, using a steam chamber having outside dimensions of approximately 4 X 4 meters, more than a 40 meter length of the web may be contained by the chamber 22 for steaming. This compactness is obtained by making the spans 23 from one drum to the next as short as is permissible to get the web from one drum to the other. This is possible because the very open construction of the new drum more thoroughly exposes the web to the steam on both sides than has been possible before. Furthermore, the web is being agitated more or less as previously described.

However, during steaming the radial component of the motion used for the washing purpose is neither required nor perhaps advisable. Consequently, the arms 5a may be made with the very small angularity 24' shown in FIG. 11, this angularity rather closely approaching relative to a radial plane of the tube 3. Even an angularity of 90 is possible. In any event the radial component of the previously described motion is greatly reduced, the axially directed component depending, of course, on the extent the bars are moved in that direction. Furthermore, if the cam rollers 9 and cam surfaces 10 are used, the two groups shown in FIG. 1 1 may be moved only very slightly by making the conventional hills and valleys of the actuating surface of the cam plate 10 with very small displacement distances. Obviously the restraint to transverse web shifting or deviations may be more or less accented, this applying also to the radial displacement components of the oscillating motions involved, the latter depending on the arm angularities.

In all instances the parts that must be oscillated, reciprocated or vibrated are very small in mass or weight as compared to what is involved when a foraminous drum is both rotated and radially displaced rapidly. Furthermore, due to the opposite phasing previously described, the entire drum construction when in operation is substantially balanced dynamically. As one pair of bars is moving outwardly, another pair is moving inwardly; and as to the two groups of bars, they are always moving axially in opposite directions. Incidentally, the invention is not restricted to the number of pairs of bars illustrated, the number used depending on the desired effects and, of course, on engineering principles, such as dictated by the diameter of the drum construction and other obvious factors. Because of the light weight of the parts, their strength, and therefore expense, is less than is indicated for the prior art construction and, furthermore, the frequency of the oscillatory motions may obviously be of a higher value.

What is claimed is:

l. A web supporting drum, comprising:

a rotative, substantially cylindrical, series of mutually parallel bars which are laterally interspaced, said bars being arranged to form pairs with the bars of each pair diametrically opposite to each other;

means for mounting said series for rotation thereof and for radial reciprocation of said bars during rotation of said series, the latter supporing the web when wrapped therearound; and

means for applying radial reciprocation to the bars of each pair, said reciprocation having the same amplitude and frequency and being in phase as to the respective bars of each pair, the pairs of bars forming said series all receiving said reciprocation but which as to each circumferentially successive pair is oppositely phased.

2. The drum of claim 1 in which said series mounting means comprise a rotative shaft and arms extending therefrom radially and connected to said bars, said arms being deflective angularly in the axial direction of the drum and there being at least two arms for each bar to hold the latter parallel to the shafts axis.

3. A web supporting drum, comprising:

two axially separated, rotative, substantially cylindrical series of mutually parallel bars which are laterally interspaced, said bars being arranged to form pairs, with the pairs of bars of each series axially registered with each other, and the bars of each pair diametrically opposite to each other;

means for mounting said series for rotation thereof and for radial reciprocation of said bars during rotation of said series, the latter supporting the web when wrapped therearound; and

means for applying radial reciprocation to the bars of each pair, said reciprocation having the same amplitude and frequency and being in phase as to the respective bars of each pair, said radial reciprocating means imparting also an axially directed reciprocation to said bars with the bars of each pair receiving the same with the same amplitude and frequency and being in phase, the registered bars of the two series also receiving the same motion in phase with respect to said radial motion but oppositely phased as to said axially directed motion, and the pairs of bars forming said two series all receiving said reciprocation but which as to each circumferentially successive pair is oppositely phased.

4. The drum of claim 3, in which said series mounting means comprises a rotative shaft and arms extending thereform radially and connected to said bars, said arms being deflective angularly in the axial direction of the drum and there being at least two arms for each bar to hold the latter parallel to the shafts axis.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3 831, 404

DATED 1 August 27, 1974 INVENTOR(S) 1 Valentin Appenzeller It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The address of the inventor incorrectly given as "Am Hagelkreuz, Germany" change to --Kempen/Ndrh.

Am Hagelkreuz Germany-- The address of the Assignee incorrectly given as "Gladbacher Strasse, Germany" change to Gladbacher Strasse, West Germany Signed and Sealed this twenty-fifth Day of N0vember1975 {SEAL A ttest:

RUTH (I. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN .irresrr'ng ()ffrcer ('mnnrrlrsr'rmer uf'PaIenIs and Trademarks 

